• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

[Gameranx] Why a SUPERMAN Video Game Is So Hard To Make

RedC

RedC

Member

The world continues to ask: will we ever get a good Superman game? Let's talk about it.
Click to expand...

Why Superman Games Keep Failing (And Why That Excuse Is Wrong)


Core Premise

  • Despite success of superhero games like:
    • Batman Arkham series
    • Spider-Man
    • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • There is still no great Superman game

Common Explanation (Rejected)

  • Popular belief:
    • "Superman is too powerful → hard to design challenge"
  • Problem with this argument:
    • Leads to nerfing Superman
    • Which defeats the purpose of the character
  • Analogy:
    • Like making a racing game where cars only go 20 mph

Key Design Insight (Already Solved)

  • Example: Superman Returns (2006)
  • Solution:
    • No health bar for Superman
    • City has the health bar instead
  • Why this works:
    • Superman stories aren't about him being hurt
    • They're about:
      • Saving others
      • Failing to save everyone
  • Takeaway:
    • The "invincible hero problem" is not unsolvable

Real Problem (According to Transcript)

1. Warner Bros Mismanagement

  • WB struggles with:
    • Long-term game strategy
    • Proper project direction
  • Example:
    • Wonder Woman game canceled
    • Monolith Productions shut down
  • Pattern:
    • Reactionary decisions
    • Poor understanding of why projects succeed/fail

2. Fear from Past Failures

  • Superman game track record:
    • Superman 64 → infamous disaster
    • Multiple poorly received titles
    • Last major attempt: 2006
  • Result:
    • WB essentially stopped trying entirely
    • Brand damage → fear of backlash

3. Overreaction to Failure

  • WB approach:
    • One failure → abandon entire concept
  • Compared to other companies:
    • Would iterate and improve instead
  • Outcome:
    • Superman games effectively dead for ~20 years

Proof It's Actually Possible

Several games already demonstrate working Superman-like gameplay:
  • Undefeated
    • Free indie sandbox
    • Fully powered superhero gameplay works
  • Megaton Rainfall
    • Planet-scale protection gameplay
    • Focus on minimizing collateral damage
  • Matrix Unreal Demo (Superman mod)
    • High-speed traversal + destruction works
  • GTA V Superman mod
    • Shows open-world viability
  • Lego Batman 2
    • Superman playable → feels great without nerfing

Design Challenge That DOES Exist

  • Not power → player behavior
  • Problem:
    • Players will:
      • Cause chaos
      • Kill civilians unintentionally
  • Conflict:
    • Superman = moral, restrained character
    • Sandbox gameplay = encourages destruction
  • Example:
    • Megaton Rainfall highlights collateral damage issue

Psychological / Industry Barrier

  • "Superman games are impossible" is:
    • Narrative baked into gaming culture
  • Even if a new game is good:
    • It will still be compared to past failures (especially Superman 64)

Final Takeaway

  • It's NOT that Superman games are impossible
  • It's that:
    • Publishers (especially WB) won't take the risk anymore
  • Core conclusion:
    • The problem is fear, mismanagement, and perception
    • Not design limitations
 
I think city damage is probably the best solution I've ever heard honestly.

But I think a Dragonball style fighting where you're launching and chasing after enemies for miles would be great. Superman 06 set a great bar for flight control... Just needed refinement.
 
I think people also need to broaden their understanding of what a superman story can be. Doesn't have to be in a paper town.
 
Puscifer said:
I think city damage is probably the best solution I've ever heard honestly.
Click to expand...
Its good on paper but megaton rainfall showed us the problem with that formula is that it isnt very fun.

Blowing shit up is just too cool, its like making a gta-like game with all the gta mechanics that give you a game over for causing chaos
 
Last edited:
A godlike character is a walking plot hole, just like OP dragons in fantasy. There is no way to create a balanced experience without fucking up its worldbuilding.
 
Loomy said:
I think people also need to broaden their understanding of what a superman story can be. Doesn't have to be in a paper town.
Click to expand...

When you're not smashing Doomsday through a building, you should be solving puzzles from Mr Mxyzptlk, getting away from Parasite so he doesn't leech too much of your power, saving exotic animals from across the galaxy for the Fortress Zoo, and so on.

Just because none of the games have realized the potential of the franchise doesn't mean that the potential isn't there.
 
Just give him a fucking health bar. People continuing to split hairs over his invulnerability is part of the reason we'll never get a Superman game. He's not literally invulnerable. Magic hurts him. Kryptonite hurts him. Physically strong beings can hurt him. This isn't rocket science.

NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt said:
Because he's a Gary Sue
Click to expand...

Would argue Batman is 10x more of a Gary Sue than Superman. Guy has more plot armor than any fictional character I know.
 
Last edited:
I think it's already been stated - destructive environments, time attack/save everyone in time. I think that and a good story just needs to be put together by the right studio.
 
Because superman is trash. All powerful, no tension. He is what you call a god that defies logic.

Faster than light. Only kryptonite can hurt him. Need a nerf to use the same thing, otherwise he speed blitz you. Can fire laser, so the green rock is useless.

Him and Flash games make no sense, due to their hax.
 
We worked on a superman game back in the day and it just didn't work. Never saw public eyes.

Flying mechanic was good but everything after that just didn't gell.
 
they can look into dragonball kakarot, gradual progression from superboy to superman, the combat in kakarot also can be used

Dragon Ball Z Battle GIF by Xbox
Dragon Ball Z Loop GIF by Xbox
 
Puscifer said:
I think city damage is probably the best solution I've ever heard honestly.

But I think a Dragonball style fighting where you're launching and chasing after enemies for miles would be great. Superman 06 set a great bar for flight control... Just needed refinement.
Click to expand...
Came here to say this. A superman game with gameplay based off of kakarot or the tenkaichi games would be awesome
 
kpopSuperstar said:
How would the city damage work? sounds annoying.
Click to expand...
An earlier Superman game on 360 and PS3 implemented this. Essentially, bad things would happen around the city, and you had to stop them before the city received too much damage. Big boss in one area, a huge meteorite also falling from the sky, building fires... scenarios like these.
 
Angry_Megalodon said:
A godlike character is a walking plot hole, just like OP dragons in fantasy. There is no way to create a balanced experience without fucking up its worldbuilding.
Click to expand...
Isekais seem to manage it with superbly entertaining stories.

A godlike character just needs godlike stakes and enemies to contend with, and lord knows there's plenty in Superman comics.

We also, don't always have to play as Superman. Part of the charm of the best superman movies is that they split time between him and the much more vulnerable human characters. Create tension through the human characters like Louis and Jimmy getting themselves into shit and needing Supes to save them before its too late.

Including human subplots is also a great way of showing just how godlike Superman is by comparison.
 
Last edited:
It's a hard game to make because Superman is a dogshit character.
 
IAmRei said:
they can look into dragonball kakarot, gradual progression from superboy to superman, the combat in kakarot also can be used

Dragon Ball Z Battle GIF by Xbox
Dragon Ball Z Loop GIF by Xbox
Click to expand...

Right? Do an origin story that starts as Clark as a boy growing up on the Kent farm and learning how to harness his abilities, and conclude with him becoming Superman and finally unleashing all that he's capable of.
 
It's not hard. Just put him against foes that can hurt him. Doomsday, Darksied, Braniac, Red Lanterns, magic users, etc, etc...

The idea that Superman is this invulnerable god that cannot be defeated or has no limits is a myth.
 
Puscifer said:
I think city damage is probably the best solution I've ever heard honestly.

But I think a Dragonball style fighting where you're launching and chasing after enemies for miles would be great. Superman 06 set a great bar for flight control... Just needed refinement.
Click to expand...

I mean why not just follow what the comics do?

The supervillain shows up.......wrecks havoc on the people(psychological effects, physical effects, death, etc..... city-health indication for city/houses, etc sounds great btw while also attacking Superman and you have your game. It's not *really* that hard and I think this might be a case of developers over thinking the issue re: Superman's invincibility.

How did the movies handle it? Putting his friends/family/city/Earth in danger.

A well written, nicely developed character driven Superman video game with incredible action and various gameplay elements would be incredible. Let's face it, if Naughty Dog were to tackle a Superman game, I'd probably pre-order that(and I don't pre-order).
 
Zathalus said:
It's not hard. Just put him against foes that can hurt him. Doomsday, Darksied, Braniac, Red Lanterns, magic users, etc, etc...

The idea that Superman is this invulnerable god that cannot be defeated or has no limits is a myth.
Click to expand...
But then what would be the moment to moment gameplay beside fighting bosses? Saving people from natural disasters ?
 
Eh, just make him younger when his powers are weaker, and/or have him go up against villains that actually match him like in the comic books.

You could simplify the building destruction by having him go outside of earth like he does in some of the comics, and constrain the environment how you want in space or other worlds.

The dude isn't actually a god, he's been killed before and weak to a variety of things.
 
Ceadeus said:
But then what would be the moment to moment gameplay beside fighting bosses? Saving people from natural disasters ?
Click to expand...
Same as any other superhero video game. Saving civilians and defeating the villains and associates henchman. Throw in some puzzles and that's about it really.
 
RedC said:


Why Superman Games Keep Failing (And Why That Excuse Is Wrong)


Core Premise

  • Despite success of superhero games like:
    • Batman Arkham series
    • Spider-Man
    • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • There is still no great Superman game

Common Explanation (Rejected)

  • Popular belief:
    • "Superman is too powerful → hard to design challenge"
  • Problem with this argument:
    • Leads to nerfing Superman
    • Which defeats the purpose of the character
  • Analogy:
    • Like making a racing game where cars only go 20 mph

Key Design Insight (Already Solved)

  • Example: Superman Returns (2006)
  • Solution:
    • No health bar for Superman
    • City has the health bar instead
  • Why this works:
    • Superman stories aren't about him being hurt
    • They're about:
      • Saving others
      • Failing to save everyone
  • Takeaway:
    • The "invincible hero problem" is not unsolvable

Real Problem (According to Transcript)

1. Warner Bros Mismanagement

  • WB struggles with:
    • Long-term game strategy
    • Proper project direction
  • Example:
    • Wonder Woman game canceled
    • Monolith Productions shut down
  • Pattern:
    • Reactionary decisions
    • Poor understanding of why projects succeed/fail

2. Fear from Past Failures

  • Superman game track record:
    • Superman 64 → infamous disaster
    • Multiple poorly received titles
    • Last major attempt: 2006
  • Result:
    • WB essentially stopped trying entirely
    • Brand damage → fear of backlash

3. Overreaction to Failure

  • WB approach:
    • One failure → abandon entire concept
  • Compared to other companies:
    • Would iterate and improve instead
  • Outcome:
    • Superman games effectively dead for ~20 years

Proof It's Actually Possible

Several games already demonstrate working Superman-like gameplay:
  • Undefeated
    • Free indie sandbox
    • Fully powered superhero gameplay works
  • Megaton Rainfall
    • Planet-scale protection gameplay
    • Focus on minimizing collateral damage
  • Matrix Unreal Demo (Superman mod)
    • High-speed traversal + destruction works
  • GTA V Superman mod
    • Shows open-world viability
  • Lego Batman 2
    • Superman playable → feels great without nerfing

Design Challenge That DOES Exist

  • Not power → player behavior
  • Problem:
    • Players will:
      • Cause chaos
      • Kill civilians unintentionally
  • Conflict:
    • Superman = moral, restrained character
    • Sandbox gameplay = encourages destruction
  • Example:
    • Megaton Rainfall highlights collateral damage issue

Psychological / Industry Barrier

  • "Superman games are impossible" is:
    • Narrative baked into gaming culture
  • Even if a new game is good:
    • It will still be compared to past failures (especially Superman 64)

Final Takeaway

  • It's NOT that Superman games are impossible
  • It's that:
    • Publishers (especially WB) won't take the risk anymore
  • Core conclusion:
    • The problem is fear, mismanagement, and perception
    • Not design limitations
Click to expand...


It is impossible.

The technology doesn't exist yet to make it realistic. To make a real Superman game, you need to be able to fly wherever you want at will. That means recreating every inch of the Earth. You would also need to add real world destruction to a full replica of the planet. His powers are also OP for a video game. He can move at light speed, move planets etc. How can you do that in a game?

Not possible and may never be.

The only way you could make it work is lock in Superman to one city and limit his powers, but then is it even Superman?
 

Proof It's Actually Possible

Click to expand...
They could've just posted these -

qguX1AYXyFPcXJk9.jpg


EOUgxl7BNBjQnAWw.jpg


And they weren't utter trash either. Of course they wouldn't mention them. Of course.

Fuck Gameranx up its dumb, ignorant asshole.
 
Balancing a game with Superman? nah that's hard af. He literally a god and if they messed up with his strength they will be doomed with sales. They would need to proper calibrate every single aspect of his strength and create an entire destructible city. Almost a decade of work and billions of dollars
 
The fact that so many in this thread just want to make DBZ: Kakarot, but for Superman, just adds to the misunderstanding of a game based around him.

This post is on the right track:

TheAtomicPile said:
When you're not smashing Doomsday through a building, you should be solving puzzles from Mr Mxyzptlk, getting away from Parasite so he doesn't leech too much of your power, saving exotic animals from across the galaxy for the Fortress Zoo, and so on.

Just because none of the games have realized the potential of the franchise doesn't mean that the potential isn't there.
Click to expand...
 
Puscifer said:
But I think a Dragonball style fighting where you're launching and chasing after enemies for miles would be great.
Click to expand...

...So, why don't they do a game with familiar gameplay but 100x or more the amount of semi-interactive background space?

If they had a procedural world, that might work, but otherwise, you're talking a tough economic sell at the pitch meeting.
 
Breakfast at Noon said:
If they can make a godzilla game, they can make a superman game.
Click to expand...

...When did that happen?

You can make a good game with Superman or Godzilla or whomever has really dominant powers and no inherent weaknesses without nerfing their strengths, so those old Melee Godzilla games or LEGO stuff or whatever is a good time because you're not treating the character honestly in the context of what's fun. However, to make a real have about them and their place in their stories is a constant and rarely surmised challenge.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

[Jason Schreirer] Why Video Games Cost So Much To Make
2 3 4
181
433
yurinka replied
Why does Sony make female characters uglier in their games?
13 14 15 16 17
804
805
Guardian Monkey replied
Hasbro is spending $1bn making video games, and none of them are games-as-a-service
Opinion Business Game Dev 
19
257
Fbh replied
Gameranx: 10 Game of The Year Games That AGED LIKE MILK
2
64
1K
Unknown? replied
gameranx: BEST GAMES OF 2025
Opinion Trailer 
6
522
ChoosableOne replied
Top Bottom